Microsoft Angers Angry Bird Developers on Windows Phone 7 Page

Rovio, developer of the popular mobile game "Angry Birds," has taken issue with Microsoft's suggestion that the company both endorses Windows Phone 7 and has an Angry Birds port for the new mobile OS ready to go.

How do you anger an Angry Bird? For Rovio, developers of the popular mobile game of the same name (Angry Birds), you merely have to suggest that the company somehow endorses your product or service without ever having contacted the company to gain such permission.

The story goes like this: Microsoft posted an icon to its new Windows Phone 7 site that seemed to give the impression that Rovio's flagship game was being supported on the company's to-be-released mobile OS. Rovio took note of its apparent endorsement and posted an immediately reply on its official Twitter page:

"We have NOT committed to doing a Windows Phone 7 version. Microsoft put the Angry Birds icon on their site without our permission," the company wrote.

Microsoft has since taken down the image and issued the following statement: "It appears information was mistakenly posted to Microsoft's website, and has been removed."

So what's the big deal? Why would Rovio not want to associate itself with a fairly significant launch (rumored to hit on November 8) that, if nothing else, could gain the company a big more exposure for its game? As well, it's not as if Rovio has no intentions to make a version of Angry Birds for Windows Phone 7according to the company, it just has nothing to announce right now.

In a follow-up reply to another Twitter user, Rovio explained its reasoning for its criticism behind Microsoft's treatment of its logo.

"Time will tell, only thing we said that we have not committed to do WP7 yet, we don't like others using our IP without asking," the company wrote.

Of course, simply appending popular games for competing mobile platforms to its web page is the least damning of Microsoft's alleged business practices when it comes to boosting interest in the company's future Windows Phone 7 application store. According to PocketGamer.biz, Microsoft has allegedly been offering direct cash contributions to developers of popular mobile games for promises that said developers would port said popular titles to Windows Phone 7a Silverlight or XNA Framework environment.

We mention that as we do, for even the promise of cash in the door hasn't been enough to convince some developers to port their titles from C++ to the Windows Phone 7 code. Were that process easier, argues PocketGamer.biz's Jon Jordan, Microsoft might see more developers taking up its alleged offer.

David Murphy got his first real taste of technology journalism when he arrived at PC Magazine as an intern in 2005. A three-month gig turned to six months, six months turned to occasional freelance assignments, and he has since rejoined his tech-loving, mostly New York-based friends as one of PCMag.com's news contributors.
His rise to (self-described) fame in the world of tech journalism began during his stint as an associate editor at Maximum PC, where his love of cardboard-based PC construction and meetings put him in...
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